Hyderabad, April 04: Were former Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin and his wife Sangita Bijlani witness to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik and his 'first wife' Ayesha staying in a city hotel?

If one believes the family friends of Ayesha Siddiqui, who claims to be Shoaib's first wife, Azharuddin and Sangita were staying in the same hotel where the Pakistani cricketer and Ayesha were sharing a room after their 'marriage' in 2002.

The claims are significant as Shoaib, who is set to marry Indian tennis star Sania Mirza later this month, is refusing to accept Ayesha as his first wife. While admitting that he signed the 'nikahnama' or marriage document over phone in 2002, Shoaib said he presumed that the girl on the other side was the one whose photographs were sent to him.

The Pakistani cricketer has denied meeting Ayesha, the daughter of M.A. Siddiqui, a former official of Saudi Airlines.

However, Ayesha Sunday told some television channels that Shoaib met her several times during his visit to Hyderabad, they spent time together and that she has witnesses to prove this.

Ayesha also claimed that two employees of Taj Residency, where she shared a room with Shoaib, were ready to testify.

Siddiqui's family friends in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, said the couple, during their stay at the hotel, also met Azharuddin, now a Member of Parliament, and his wife Sangita.

While Shoaib claims he never met Ayesha, the latter insists that they met on several occasions since 2001 but the cricketer, who was not a big star then, lost interest in her due to her being overweight.

Ayesha's family has already released copies of the 'nikahnama' issued in Pakistan and signed by Shoaib. A video footage of a Man of the Match presentation ceremony after the India-Pakistan practice match in Hyderabad in 2005 is also being seen as proof. Shoaib had said at the ceremony that Hyderabad is the home town of his wife.

After the match, the Pakistani team was also feted with a dinner at the residence of Ayesha in Banjara Hills.

Ayesha hires Pak lawyer to stop April 15 wedding

A Pakistani lawyer claimed on Monday that Shoaib Malik's alleged wife Ayesha Siddiqui wanted him to file cases against the cricketer in Pakistani courts to stop his marriage with Sania Mirza.

He said he would file cases against Malik under "Section 420 of the Pakistan Penal Code (for cheating) and Hudood Ordinance (for fornication)". He added: "The cases will be filed at an appropriate legal forum after Indian cases against the former Pakistan captain fail to prevent his marriage scheduled for April 15."We will do whatever it takes to stop him from marrying Sania," Hasan said. Hasan said the police in India had registered a case against Malik under Section 498 of the Indian Penal Code. This, according to him, meant that the Indian authorities had already accepted him as Ayesha's husband."Section 498 deals with domestic quarrels between a husband and a wife," he claimed. So, he said, the Indian police would not investigate whether the two were married because they had already accepted that by registering the case."They will rather investigate why Malik is behaving with his wife in a strange way," said Hasan. "So, therefore, the registration of the case itself means that his marriage (with Sania) will never happen unless a court of law declares his earlier marriage as null and void," he added. "It is up to the court now to decide and this will certainly take some time," he said, implying that Malik's plans to marry Sania on April 15 may not materialise.Hasan said he had received an emailed copy of the power of attorney from Ayesha and had spoken to her over phone. "I have yet to get the original power of attorney and other documents from Ayesha that I require to file the case," he added.Earlier in the day, he told reporters at the Lahore High Court that he expected to file cases against Malik in three days. "From my conversation with Ayesha I have come to the conclusion that Shoaib is not telling the truth and cheating his lawful wife," he told the press